The Sicilian cuisine owes much to centuries of
exchanges and relationships with foreign civilizations. Richest in
scents and ranging from salty to sweet, Ragusa’s traditional foods are as much
genuine and tasty.

Among its most
renowned specialties are the pastieri, pastries filled with minced meat and lamb entrails, then
garnished with pepper, cheese and eggs; the impanate, pies stuffed with lamb or veal and
baked potatoes; the scacce, savoury rolled-out pastries stuffed with
various ingredients ranging from spinachs to ricotta or tomato, to broccoli,
eggplants and many others. The pork-meat (coming in steak, sausage or
jelly) is a most traditional food, notably in Chiaramonte Gulfi; coming from
the skin, the feet or the head of the pork, it is always a favorite of meat
lovers. The coniglioa partuisa (rabbit), the chickpeas with
pork-meat, and the macco (a fava-bean soup) are also very popular.

The first courses
include numerous renowned specialties such as the cavati, the ravioli
di ricotta (both usually garnished with pork-meat sauce), and the lolli
‘cche favi (a type of pasta with fava-beans). The celebrated caciocavallo
cheese, made with cow-milk, is especially produced in the mountainside.
Vegetables are available all the year round thanks to the local developed
houthouse cultivation.

Fish specialties are
mainly typical of the coast, from Scoglitti to Pozzallo.

Modica is world-famous
for its confectionery. Among its most popular sweets are the affucaparrinu
(literally ‘choke-priest’), hard biscotti made with flour, eggs, a few sugar
and lard; the nucatoli,
soft biscotti stuffed with dried figs and marzipan fruit; almond sweets like
the torrone, the amaretti and the characteristic ’mpanatigghi,
containing almonds, chocolate, minced beef and spices; the popular ice-cream
and the pignolata, a cake coated with sugar and chocolate.

Wine lovers
may, finally, enjoy such renowned labels as the Cerasuolo di Vittoria,
the Ambrato di Comiso and the Albanello.